2002 Toyota Sienna Steering Problems

About a week after your gear shift was repaired at a Toyota dealer, your steering completely failed—the steering wheel turned but the wheels didn't respond. A bolt in the steering joint had come loose during the gear shift repair. The dealer re-tightened the bolt and added thread-locking compound to secure it. This type of steering failure could be dangerous if it happens at highway speeds.

While driving to a restaurant, you noticed heavy smoke coming from under the hood. After opening the hood, you found more smoke and disconnected the battery. A mechanic determined the fire was in the power steering pump and advised you to take the car to a dealer, noting this is a safety issue that may be subject to recall. You want to know if this is covered under warranty or recall.

Your steering wheel becomes stiff and difficult to turn. This makes it harder to maneuver the vehicle, especially at lower speeds or when parking.

Your gear shift is getting stuck and won't move out of Park or Drive, though the problem comes and goes sporadically. A mechanic determined that the steering column needs to be replaced to fix this issue. Replacing the steering column is a significant repair that requires removing and reinstalling the entire column assembly.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 TOYOTA SIENNA. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 5 MPH WHEN THE STEERING WHEEL BECAME ABNORMALLY HARD TO MANEUVER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT HE WAS ABLE TO FINALLY MOVE THE STEERING WHEEL BUT THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT RESPOND. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE TO THE CONTACTS PLACE OR RESIDENCE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING OR REPAIRS. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 57,000.

MY WIFE WAS BACKING OUT OF A PARKING SPACE ON A SLIGHT INCLINE. WHEN SHE STOPPED AND TRIED TO PUT THE CAR INTO DRIVE, THE GEARSHIFT BROKE. WE HAD THE VAN TOWED TO THE TOYOTA DEALER AND THEY DETERMINED THAT THE METAL PARTS INTO WHICH THE GEAR SHAFT INSERTS HAD BROKEN CLEAN IN HALF. NEITHER THE CUSTOMER SERVICE REP NOR THE MECHANIC HAD EVER SEEN THAT HAPPEN BEFORE THEY CLAIMED. NEVERTHELESS, TOYOTA DID NOT DEEM THIS TO BE A DEFECT AND WE HAD TO PAY CLOSE TO $800 TO HAVE IT FIXED. HAD THIS HAPPENED ON A STEEPER HILL OR HAD MY WIFE BEEN PULLING OUT INTO A BUSY STREET, AN ACCIDENT MOST DEFINITELY COULD HAVE OCCURRED. I HAVE KEPT THE PARTS WHICH I BELIEVE WERE FAULTY/DEFECTIVE. THE PARTS THAT WERE REPLACED WERE A TILT STEERING SUPPORT, A STEERING TUBE SUB-ASSEMBLY, A SHAFT SUB-ASSEMBLY AND A TILT STEERING BOLT. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 TOYOTA PRIUS. EACH TIME THE VEHICLE IS DRIVING FORWARD OR IN REVERSE AT APPROXIMATELY 4 TO 10 MPH, IT SHAKES VIOLENTLY. THE FAILURE OCCURS INTERMITTENTLY AND USUALLY IN COLD WEATHER. THE VEHICLE SHAKES ROUGHLY AFTER IT HAS BEEN DRIVEN FOR A WHILE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER ON TWO OCCASIONS. SERVICE BULLETIN NUMBER 20040604 WAS REFERENCED. THE DEALER DISCOVERED THAT THE STEERING RACK AND STEERING COMPUTER FAILED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED AT THE COST OF $2,200. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 50,000 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 40,000.

THE STEERING WENT OUT WITHOUT ANY WARNING. 45 MINUTES PRIOR TO THIS, I WAS ON THE INTERSTATE GOING 70 MILES AN HOUR, THANKFULLY I WAS BACKING OUT OF A PARKING SPACE AT THE TIME, SO NO PERSONAL INJURY OR DAMAGE OF ANY KIND. I COULD HAVE VERY EASILY HAVE BEEN KILLED DO TO DEFECTIVE WORKMANSHIP. I PROMPTLY CALLED GREENVILLE TOYOTA AND REPORTED IT AND THEY WERE TO COME TOW THE CAR FROM RALEIGH BACK TO GREENVILLE. GREENVILLE TOYOTA SAYS THE STEERING COLUMN IS NOT UNDER WARRANTY AND IT WOULD COST ME $328 TO REPLACE IT. IT NEVER SHOULD HAVE COME LOOSE. HERE IS PART OF THE LETTER I'VE SENT TO GREENVILLE TOYOTA: ------------------------------------------------------------ I CRANKED MY 2002 TOYOTA SIENNA AND PUT IT IN REVERSE AND STARTED TO TURN THE WHEEL TO BACK UP. ALL OF A SUDDEN THE STEERING WHEEL POPPED AND THE WHEEL STARTED TO SPIN FREELY. MY BROTHER TOOK A LOOK AT THE SIENNA. HE CHECKED THE FRONT WHEELS AND IT WAS NOT THE TIE RODS. HE THEN CHECKED THE STEERING COLUMN. THE WHEEL SPUN FREELY BECAUSE THE UNIVERSAL JOINT HAD COME LOOSE. THE BOLT THAT GOES FROM THE U JOINT INTO THE STEERING COLUMN NEVER WAS INSTALLED PROPERLY. THE UNIT SHOULD HAVE NEVER, EVER COME APART LIKE THAT. MY BROTHER ATTACHED THE BOLT PROPERLY AND HAD ME ON MY WAY IN A COUPLE OF HOURS. IN HIS MECHANIC'S OPINION THE UNIT WAS NEVER ATTACHED PROPERLY AND WAS AN ACCIDENT WAITING TO HAPPEN. *NM

PROBLEMS: 1: THE STARTING IDLE WILL NOT KEEP CAR ON IF TEMPERATURE IS BELOW 60 AND I HAD TO PAY $200, JUST TO HAVE TOYOTA CLEAN IT, BUT THEY WOULD NOT REPLACE IT. EVEN AFTER IT BEEN CLEANED THE PROBLEM STILL HAPPENS RANDOMLY. 2: TIRE PRESSURE GAUGE SENSOR HAS ALWAYS BEEN ON EVEN AFTER ITS BEEN RESET TWO DIFFERENT TIMES. 3: RANDOMLY THE FRONT WHEELS WILL VIBRATE THEN STOP AFTER ABOUT 15 MILES. I'VE REPLACED WITH NEW TIRES AND HAD BRAKES DONE TWICE BUT PROBLEMS STILL PERSISTS. *NM

THE CONSUMER STATED THAT THE POWER STEERING RACK WAS DEFECTIVE. *YH

CONSUMER PURCHASED VEHICLE ON AUGUST 4,2001, AND ON AUG 6 VEHICLE CAUGHT ON FIRE.CONSUMER WAS DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 30 MPH WHEN POWER STEERING FAILED, AND COULD NOT TURN STEERING WHEEL. CONSUMER THEN NOTICED SMOKE. ,WAS ABLE TO PULL TO SIDE AND GET CHILDREN OUT OF VEHICLE. FLAMES WERE COMING FROM UNDERNEATH VEHICLE. ENGINE TOTALLY MELTED, AND POSSIBLY WAS A TOTAL LOSS. TOYOTA MECHANIC AND FIRE DEPARTMENT FEEL IT MIGHT HAVE BEEN A ELECTRICAL FIRE. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION.*AK